ALDENHAM PLATEAU summary assessment evaluation guidelines area16 County map showing location of LANDSCAPE CHARACTER AREA Stevenage ©Crown copyright Bishops Stortford All rights reserved. Hertfordshire County Council Hertford LA076678 Hemel Hatfield Hempstead St Albans Watford area 16 LOCATION KEY CHARACTERISTICS This area is located between Radlett and Watford. The • gently undulating landform valley of the Colne lies to the north-west and the • large tenanted estates with arabledominant and some Borehamwood plateau to the south-east. secondary grazing • small organic clustered villages around village greens LANDSCAPE CHARACTER • declining pattern of hedgerows within arable areas An area of predominantly gently undulating arable farmland • limited woodland except to M1 interspersed with a number of distinctive villages clustered around greens and with a good mix of vernacular buildings. DISTINCTIVE FEATURES Areas of grazing are prevalent in association with modest • Aldenham church parklands on the edge of the settlements. Medium to tall • high proportion of elm in hedges hedgerows and sunken lanes help to enclose the open arable fields and retain a rural and tranquil character which only changes at the approaches to the noisy M1/A41 corridor. Hill Farm • (J. Billingsley) South Hertfordshire Landscape Character Assessment pg 75 ALDENHAM PLATEAU summary assessment evaluation guidelines area 16 PHYSICAL INFLUENCES HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL INFLUENCES Geology and soils. To the north the underlying geology is a Aldenham is recorded in the Domesday Book. Letchmore combination of plateau and river terrace drift. The soils are Heath was not recorded before the 16th century, but its well-drained flinty coarse loamy and sandy over some name comes from the Old English word meaning 'dirty gravels (Sonning 1 association). To the south, including pond'. Letchmore Heath, the geology is Eocene and Jurassic loam Field pattern. The historic field pattern is one of pre-18th and clay with fine deep and coarse loamy soils with slowly century organic enclosure. This pattern is largely intact, permeable subsoils and seasonal waterlogging (Bursledon except to the north where there has been considerable association). 20th-century enclosure and field enlargement. Despite the Topography. Within this undulating plateau area the continuity of the field pattern there has been considerable highest ground is to the east and centre around Kemprow hedge removal in the arable areas. The hedges are best and the edge of Radlett. Most of the central plateau areas retained along the local minor roads. have minimal falls while to the edges the landform becomes Transport pattern. The historic pattern of narrow winding more strongly undulating, e.g. at Hill north of Radlett. lanes is partly retained between the villages. The lanes are There are a number of sunken lanes in the core of the area. often sunken where they run down locally steeper slopes. Degree of slope. Across the plateau, slopes are typically The 'improved' B462 between Radlett and Bushey skirts the less than 1 in 50, but on the slopes can be up to 1 in 25. villages, but is unsympathetically planted with a mix of Altitude range. 70 to 100m. 100% hawthorn. Much of the area is only served by farm Hydrology. The clay soils support a number of streams that tracks. flow off the plateau towards the Colne. There are also a Settlements and built form. In the estate farmlands the number of ponds associated with farmsteads, woodlands, settlement is sparse and dispersed. However, the small village greens or larger houses. historic villages are one of the key features of the area. Land cover and land use. The primary land use is arable. Building materials include brick, clay tile and flint. Areas of grazing are mixed with the arable fields or found Letchmore Heath is a picturesque village centred around a closer to individual farms, e.g. Hill Farm. These fields are village green, pond and groupings of 16th and 17th- often enclosed with fencing. Woodland cover is not century cottages. Aldenham is centred around a leafy generally significant. Aldenham golf course occupies the village green and chuch. The tower and buttresses of the north-west corner of the area. parish church are unique, being made of Hertfordshire Vegetation and wildlife. Woodlands are few, being 'puddingstone', a hard conglomerate rock. discrete and linear in character. Species include oak, hazel, ash and sycamore. In some locations Leyland cypress and poplars have been introduced as shelterbelts, but they are not in harmony with the landscape pattern. The only major woodlands are close to the M1 within the Aldenham Country Club golf course grounds. These include oak/hazel, e.g. Berrygrove, which reflects the acidic and relatively wet ground conditions, although these ancient woods now also contain areas of conifers. Where present, hedges are tall and prominent features in the landscape, with mixed species including hawthorn, blackthorn, field maple and hazel. Elm is locally very significant in this area, however many of the elms are suffering from Dutch elm disease. Field trees are locally important, particularly around and within areas of pasture which are often, but not exclusively, linked to the modest areas of parkland close to the clustered villages, e.g. Patchetts Green, Batlers Green and Edge Grove. There are a few acidic to neutral buttercup pastures remaining, e.g. Batlers Green. pg 76 South Hertfordshire Landscape Character Assessment ALDENHAM PLATEAU summary assessment evaluation guidelines area 16 VISUAL AND SENSORY PERCEPTION ACCESSIBILITY The relatively elevated level nature of the land and the There are a number of footpaths in the area. However, the enclosing vegetation means it is only locally visible from the links between the small villages are limited and often rely surrounding areas. There are some long views from the on walking down the narrow sunken lanes, which can be area to the north as far as St Albans cathedral. The area is dangerous. Aldenham golf course lies to the north west. generally quiet except where close to the M1. The localised Batlers Green Farm Shop complex is just outside Radlett. decline in hedges in the arable areas opens up views to some urbanising elements. COMMUNITY VIEWS Rarity and distinctiveness. This landscape type is frequent. The greens and village landscapes in this area are The distinctive features are the small villages clustered significantly valued for their distinctiveness, including around greens. respondents for whom villages are not their favourite feature in the environment (C). VISUAL IMPACT Re. Letchmore Heath: 'It is a suprisingly beautiful little place The M1/A41 corridor and the associated urbanising in view of the fact that "much of the building seems to have elements are well contained by the adjacent woodland and been around 1872”’ (Hertfordshire Countryside Vol.20, the road cutting. The sewage works on Oakridge Lane are No.83, March 1966). well screened, their presence given away by the concrete access road. Two rows of pylons cross the area and detract LANDSCAPE RELATED DESIGNATIONS from the rural character. Built development on the edges is Watling Chase Community Forest. generally well absorbed although there are exceptions, e.g. suburban housing in Patchets Green, the northern edge of Radlett and views to tower blocks in Watford. There has been a move from pasture to arable and to recreation at Aldenham Country Park, where the tree planting style and species are out of keeping with the traditional pattern. CONDITION STRENGTH OF CHARACTER Land cover change: widespread Impact of landform: apparent Age structure of tree cover: mixed Impact of land cover: prominent Extent of semi-natural habitat survival: relic Impact of historic pattern: interrupted Management of semi-natural habitat: variable Visibility from outside: locally visible Survival of cultural pattern: declining Sense of enclosure: partial Impact of built development: moderate Visual unity: coherent Impact of land-use change: high Distinctiveness/rarity: frequent Strengthen Conserve Safeguard and and and reinforce strengthen manage Improve Improve Conserve and and and reinforce conserve restore MODERATE CONDITION Restore Improve condition Reconstruct and to maintain POORrestore GOOD character WEAK MODERATE STRONG STRENGTH OF CHARACTER South Hertfordshire Landscape Character Assessment pg 77 ALDENHAM PLATEAU summary assessment evaluation guidelines area 16 STRATEGY AND GUIDELINES FOR MANAGING CHANGE: IMPROVE AND RESTORE • support Watling Chase Community Forest in the • retain and enhance parkland areas, e.g. Edge Grove. realisation of its objectives for the area Ensure new planting is encouraged to maintain age • promote the creation of new woods within the area. diversity. Landscape improvements should respect the Planting to focus on screening harsh built edges of historic context of existing features and the form and settlements and providing access for local population, character of parkland and gardens. Ornamental species e.g. Radlett should only be used to replace damaged or over-mature • promote the appropriate management of existing semi- specimens where appropriate natural woodland in order to maintain a species-rich • encourage reversion from arable uses to pasture and ground flora and the distinction between different grassland management systems, such as high forest, coppice, • restrict ploughing of grasslands within parklands coppice-with-standards. Ensure that management does • encourage the re-use